diff --git a/open-sse/config/providerModels.js b/open-sse/config/providerModels.js
index e0bb6599..01bb5dfd 100644
--- a/open-sse/config/providerModels.js
+++ b/open-sse/config/providerModels.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { PROVIDERS } from "./providers.js";
 // PROVIDER_MODELS now built from providers/registry (transport + models co-located)
 import { PROVIDER_MODELS } from "../providers/index.js";
+import { modelQuotaFamily, modelStrip, modelTargetFormat } from "../providers/models/schema.js";
 
 export { PROVIDER_MODELS };
 
@@ -34,8 +35,7 @@ export function findModelName(aliasOrId, modelId) {
 export function getModelTargetFormat(aliasOrId, modelId) {
   const models = PROVIDER_MODELS[aliasOrId];
   if (!models) return null;
-  const found = models.find(m => m.id === modelId);
-  return found?.targetFormat || null;
+  return modelTargetFormat(models.find(m => m.id === modelId));
 }
 
 export function getModelType(aliasOrId, modelId) {
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ export function getModelUpstreamId(aliasOrId, modelId) {
 
 export function getModelQuotaFamily(aliasOrId, modelId) {
   const models = PROVIDER_MODELS[aliasOrId];
-  const found = models?.find(m => m.id === modelId);
-  return found?.quotaFamily || "normal";
+  return modelQuotaFamily(models?.find(m => m.id === modelId));
 }
 
 // OAuth providers that use short aliases (everything else: alias = id)
@@ -96,6 +95,5 @@ export function getModelsByProviderId(providerId) {
 // Get strip list for a model entry (explicit opt-in only)
 // Returns array of content types to strip, e.g. ["image", "audio"]
 export function getModelStrip(alias, modelId) {
-  const entry = PROVIDER_MODELS[alias]?.find(m => m.id === modelId);
-  return entry?.strip || [];
+  return modelStrip(PROVIDER_MODELS[alias]?.find(m => m.id === modelId));
 }
diff --git a/open-sse/providers/models/schema.js b/open-sse/providers/models/schema.js
index 742433fe..fef8ba52 100644
--- a/open-sse/providers/models/schema.js
+++ b/open-sse/providers/models/schema.js
@@ -1,32 +1,21 @@
-// Model schema (Mongoose-lite): central defaults + normalizer + 3-tier resolver (skeleton, not wired)
-
-// Centralized model defaults (caps declares positive capabilities)
+// Model defaults centralized (was scattered as `m.type || "llm"`, `quotaFamily || "normal"`, etc.)
 export const MODEL_DEFAULTS = {
   type: "llm",
   quotaFamily: "normal",
   strip: [],
-  targetFormat: null,
-  caps: { vision: false, audioIn: false, thinking: false }
+  targetFormat: null
 };
 
-// Normalize a raw model entry over defaults (deep-merge caps)
-export function normalizeModel(raw) {
-  return {
-    ...MODEL_DEFAULTS,
-    ...raw,
-    caps: { ...MODEL_DEFAULTS.caps, ...raw.caps },
-    upstreamModelId: raw.upstreamModelId || raw.id
-  };
+// Resolve a single field with its default (keeps accessor call-sites one-liners)
+export function modelType(model) {
+  return model?.type || MODEL_DEFAULTS.type;
 }
-
-// 3-tier fallback: defaults -> catalog canonical -> provider inline override (wins)
-export function resolveModel(catalog, ref) {
-  const raw = typeof ref === "string" ? { id: ref } : ref;
-  return {
-    ...MODEL_DEFAULTS,
-    ...catalog[raw.id],
-    ...raw,
-    caps: { ...MODEL_DEFAULTS.caps, ...catalog[raw.id]?.caps, ...raw.caps },
-    upstreamModelId: raw.upstreamModelId || catalog[raw.id]?.upstreamModelId || raw.id
-  };
+export function modelQuotaFamily(model) {
+  return model?.quotaFamily || MODEL_DEFAULTS.quotaFamily;
+}
+export function modelStrip(model) {
+  return model?.strip || [];
+}
+export function modelTargetFormat(model) {
+  return model?.targetFormat || MODEL_DEFAULTS.targetFormat;
 }